Thousands of pro-democracy supporters took to Hong Kong’s streets
Friday night after protest leaders implored them to dig in for the long
haul following the collapse of talks with the government.
The mass rally attracting an estimated 15,000 drew the biggest crowd
of the week, with numbers swelling as the night progressed and some
demonstrators arriving with food, tents and bedding as the protests
moved into their third week.
Over one hundred colorful tents were sprinkled across the eight-lane
Harcourt Road highway, among scores of red and blue portable marquees
serving as supply and first aid stations; stocked with water, biscuits,
noodles and cereals.
Crunch negotiations were set Friday to end the standoff between
protesters and Beijing-backed city officials but talks fell apart
Thursday after the government pulled out, blaming protesters for
threatening to expand their campaign.
Demonstrators are calling for Beijing to grant the former British
colony full democracy and for the city’s Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying
to resign.
Under plans unveiled by China in August, Hong Kong’s citizens will be
able to vote for Leung’s successor in 2017, but only two-to-three
vetted candidates will be allowed to stand — something detractors have
dismissed as a “fake democracy”.
As Friday evening progressed the crowd of demonstrators grew from
around 7,000 to 10,000 and then to more than an estimated 15,000 at the
main protest site, a stretch of highway opposite the city government’s
headquarters.
During the rally pro-democracy leaders gave speeches while protesters
chanted “Keep occupying” and sang the Cantonese version of a revolution
anthem from hit musical Les Miserables “Do You Hear The People Sing?”
Activists are hoping to muster significant numbers over the weekend,
expanding their sit-ins to keep pressure on the government.
“I miss my bed at home but to struggle for democracy I call for
everyone here to continue staying here,” Occupy Central co-founder Benny
Tai said. “We have tents here to show our determination that we’re
prepared for a long term occupation,” he added.
“I will continue to stay here until the government talks to us,” Yuki Law, a 21-year-old nursing student told AFP.
Since taking to the streets two weeks ago, the activists have
blockaded major roads around the government precinct in Admiralty, as
well as the shopping districts of Central and Causeway Bay.
“The government has never responded to the citizens so we want to
support the movement until the government has a real response for us,”
27-year-old human resources officer Vincy Chan told AFP.
She said the government’s refusal to engage had backfired and brought more people out to protest.
Student leaders Friday insisted they were still open to finding a
middle ground with the government but vowed no let up in their
occupation of parts of Hong Kong despite growing public anger over the
disruption they have caused.
Hong Kong Federation of Students general secretary Alex Chow told the
crowd: “A lot of people tell us to give up and to go but when we look
back at history 10 to 20 years from now we will see that Hong Kong
people are making a new history.”
“Come to occupy the road outside the public headquarters, come bring
your tents to show our persistence on long term occupy action,” student
leader Joshua Wong told supporters.
But if Hong Kong’s leadership were rattled by the prospect of renewed large-scale protests they showed little sign of it.
City officials said Friday Chief Secretary Carrie Lam who was
supposed to lead the Friday talks left for Guangzhou Saturday on
official business while Leung will head there Sunday.
Analysts warned that the collapse of the talks pushes the
confrontation between democracy protesters and the government into a
dangerous phase, with neither side willing to back down.
But Michael DeGolyer, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University,
said a violent reaction from police was unlikely given it could
reinvigorate the protest movement.
“They’re not going to do the martyrdom thing. That would be a completely unnecessary act of dominance,” he said.
Officers, however, hinted they might try and dismantle some of the barricades put up by protesters.
With patience among many Hong Kong residents running thin following
days of disruption, pressure is mounting on both Leung and the protest
leaders to solve the stalemate.
Leung’s opponents were given a major boost this week when details
emerged that he had kept secret large payments from an Australian
company while he was in office.
The Beijing-backed chief executive has denied any wrongdoing, saying
he was under no obligation to declare the earnings and that he did not
work for any company while in office.
But opposition lawmakers have threatened to bring impeachment
proceedings against him. Observers say Leung’s bosses in China show no
signs of dropping their support for the embattled leader.
